Chicken and Tomato Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 boneless skniness chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup Velveeta cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 heaping tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 can (540 ml/18 fluid ounce) Aylmer's Accents Tomatoes or other brand of low sodium stewed tomatoes
• A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)
  
• 3 cups elbow macaroni, cooked just to al dente (about five minutes) drained
• 2 cups crushed garlic and cheese croutons or 2 cups cheese Ritz cracker crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Sautee the chicken, onions, herbs, salt and pepper in olive oil over medium heat until chicken is cooked and beginning to turn golden.
3. Add the minced garlic and continue to stir and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the cheeses and stir until melted to incoporate into the broth.
6. Add the tomatoes and hot sauce.
   
7. Mix with cooked macaroni in a buttered casserole dish and cover with crouton crumbs.
8. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.

**Cooks note**

This sauce would be delicious served on other kinds of pasta. For a different take on the recipe, you could mix the sauce with the pasta and not add bread crumbs or bake. It would come off as more of a cream based pasta recipe.

Mangia! Mangia!